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Wounds: A Memoir of War and Love
A family story of blood and memory and the haunting power of the past.
After nearly three decades reporting conflict from all over the world for the BBC, Fergal Keane has gone home to Ireland to tell a story that lies at the root of his fascination with war. It is a family story of war and love, and how the ghosts of the past return to shape the present.
Wounds is a powerful memoir about Irish people who found themselves caught up in the revolution that followed the 1916 Rising, and in the pitiless violence of civil war in north Kerry after the British left in 1922.
It is the story of Keane’s grandmother Hannah Purtill, her brother Mick and his friend Con Brosnan, and how they and their neighbours took up guns to fight the British Empire and create an independent Ireland. And it is the story of another Irishman, Tobias O’Sullivan, who fought against them as a policeman because he believed it was his duty to uphold the law of his country.
Many thousands of people took part in the War of Independence and the Civil War that followed. Whatever side they chose, all were changed in some way by the costs of violence. Keane uses the experiences of his ancestral homeland in north Kerry to examine why people will kill for a cause and how the act of killing reverberates through the generations.
After nearly three decades reporting conflict from all over the world for the BBC, Fergal Keane has gone home to Ireland to tell a story that lies at the root of his fascination with war. It is a family story of war and love, and how the ghosts of the past return to shape the present.
Wounds is a powerful memoir about Irish people who found themselves caught up in the revolution that followed the 1916 Rising, and in the pitiless violence of civil war in north Kerry after the British left in 1922.
It is the story of Keane’s grandmother Hannah Purtill, her brother Mick and his friend Con Brosnan, and how they and their neighbours took up guns to fight the British Empire and create an independent Ireland. And it is the story of another Irishman, Tobias O’Sullivan, who fought against them as a policeman because he believed it was his duty to uphold the law of his country.
Many thousands of people took part in the War of Independence and the Civil War that followed. Whatever side they chose, all were changed in some way by the costs of violence. Keane uses the experiences of his ancestral homeland in north Kerry to examine why people will kill for a cause and how the act of killing reverberates through the generations.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published September 21, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
September 3, 2022
Ah, jeez. This is a tough one to review. Don't get me wrong: this is a brilliant book. This is an insanely brilliant book. But I think it's a very different book if you're Irish, and a different book again if you're Northern Irish. Still excellent! But I've been wondering how to articulate my experience with this book for several days now and having very little luck, so you'll have to just put up with whatever this is going to be.
In a straightforward line of reviewing, to get the easier bit out of the way first (and the bit you'll probably want to read if you're just trying to decide whether to give this one a go), this is a beautifully written and impressive piece of both memoir and wider history. Keane uses the history of his own family, as well as his own memories, outlooks, and personal experience, to paint a picture of Ireland during a very specific time of its history: a time that has roots stretching back further than anyone living can remember, but still ultimately became a unique and near-impossible thing to explain. You can recite the facts, you can know the dates, you can understand the school textbook summaries of who did what when, and why. But it takes something else to delve into the reasons behind the reasons, and capture the very odd circumstances and motivations behind such things. Keane does it immensely well, and for anyone trying to understand Ireland and this very important time in its making, I cannot recommend this highly enough. Even if you have absolutely no background knowledge on the subject, you would not struggle to take something powerful from this book. Not only that, but it's absolutely beautifully written, with impressive sensitivity for all aspects of the subject.
Now on to the more personal reflections: it can't be denied that Ireland's history does not exactly have a neat bow on it. The subject of the northern part of the country has been a difficult one for decades, and has recently undergone a new period in the spotlight thanks to the complications of its very existence in terms of borders with the European Union post-Brexit. There has long been a sense of abandonment in Northern Ireland, for both communities -- the Brexit issue has brought this to the surface. But it all goes a lot deeper than that, finding its origins in the same places that are described in this book; regardless of political or legal semantics, this book proves more than anything that we are all from the same land. Our grief and frustration is the same. And as somebody from Northern Ireland, it was a tough read at times. A lot of things hit very, very close to home. I'm very interested in the subject of war, and in history in general; I read a lot of memoirs on the subject, and still I have not grown used to seeing my own small spot on the map referred to in the same terms as I've seen other sectarian conflicts described. It feels unreal, simply because it was my life, and even long after I've left the country it remains part of my life. It's undeniable, and there's a lot of myself, and my friends, and our families, to be seen in the quiet, haunted ways that a people and a place try to go back to living after the utter madness of war.
Reading this made me angry, and it made me upset, and it made me think on a lot of things, and question things I hadn't yet questioned. It brought a lot to the surface that I didn't even know I was keeping with me. I thought that it was all in the past -- that it had happened, and it was bad, and it was a little insane, but that it was over and done with. This book proved that is not the case. This kind of thing never leaves you. A conversation with my partner, brought up in part because of this book, led to me telling him about what it was like to grow up there, and what it was like to be surrounded by adults who were deeply traumatised by what they had lived through; I spoke of some of my own experiences, of terror and excitement and threat, and of Michael McIlveen, a boy my own age at the time, the last official victim of the Troubles, who was murdered by a sectarian gang and whose death so traumatised me that I was unable to set foot in his home town forever afterwards. I realised that I was still carrying this with me, and that it still hurt. Despite the fact that I had tried to leave it alone, it still hurt. It's still there, and it always will be, and I resent that but at the same time I accept it; it makes it real, it's a part of me, and you have to do with that what you will. As somebody with a deep respect for history, it's not something I shy away from. But I remember saying to my partner, after several days of feeling completely turned inside-out and finally putting my finger on why, that the frustrating part of it was that talking about it doesn't help. It doesn't stop hurting. It just goes dormant and then, if I pick at it, it starts all over again. I remember describing it as less a scar, and more a loosely-healed cut, liable to start bleeding again as soon as I brush against it. I understand why this book is called Wounds.
There's no neat conclusion to this. It was painful to read, and it made me think about a lot that was unpleasant, but that was necessary to think about -- both in terms of my own experiences, and in terms of my own thoughts and feelings towards them. It was a very useful book to read, and one I know will serve me well in the future. I'd recommend it to anybody, but particularly those on the island of Ireland. But it is aptly named.
In a straightforward line of reviewing, to get the easier bit out of the way first (and the bit you'll probably want to read if you're just trying to decide whether to give this one a go), this is a beautifully written and impressive piece of both memoir and wider history. Keane uses the history of his own family, as well as his own memories, outlooks, and personal experience, to paint a picture of Ireland during a very specific time of its history: a time that has roots stretching back further than anyone living can remember, but still ultimately became a unique and near-impossible thing to explain. You can recite the facts, you can know the dates, you can understand the school textbook summaries of who did what when, and why. But it takes something else to delve into the reasons behind the reasons, and capture the very odd circumstances and motivations behind such things. Keane does it immensely well, and for anyone trying to understand Ireland and this very important time in its making, I cannot recommend this highly enough. Even if you have absolutely no background knowledge on the subject, you would not struggle to take something powerful from this book. Not only that, but it's absolutely beautifully written, with impressive sensitivity for all aspects of the subject.
Now on to the more personal reflections: it can't be denied that Ireland's history does not exactly have a neat bow on it. The subject of the northern part of the country has been a difficult one for decades, and has recently undergone a new period in the spotlight thanks to the complications of its very existence in terms of borders with the European Union post-Brexit. There has long been a sense of abandonment in Northern Ireland, for both communities -- the Brexit issue has brought this to the surface. But it all goes a lot deeper than that, finding its origins in the same places that are described in this book; regardless of political or legal semantics, this book proves more than anything that we are all from the same land. Our grief and frustration is the same. And as somebody from Northern Ireland, it was a tough read at times. A lot of things hit very, very close to home. I'm very interested in the subject of war, and in history in general; I read a lot of memoirs on the subject, and still I have not grown used to seeing my own small spot on the map referred to in the same terms as I've seen other sectarian conflicts described. It feels unreal, simply because it was my life, and even long after I've left the country it remains part of my life. It's undeniable, and there's a lot of myself, and my friends, and our families, to be seen in the quiet, haunted ways that a people and a place try to go back to living after the utter madness of war.
Reading this made me angry, and it made me upset, and it made me think on a lot of things, and question things I hadn't yet questioned. It brought a lot to the surface that I didn't even know I was keeping with me. I thought that it was all in the past -- that it had happened, and it was bad, and it was a little insane, but that it was over and done with. This book proved that is not the case. This kind of thing never leaves you. A conversation with my partner, brought up in part because of this book, led to me telling him about what it was like to grow up there, and what it was like to be surrounded by adults who were deeply traumatised by what they had lived through; I spoke of some of my own experiences, of terror and excitement and threat, and of Michael McIlveen, a boy my own age at the time, the last official victim of the Troubles, who was murdered by a sectarian gang and whose death so traumatised me that I was unable to set foot in his home town forever afterwards. I realised that I was still carrying this with me, and that it still hurt. Despite the fact that I had tried to leave it alone, it still hurt. It's still there, and it always will be, and I resent that but at the same time I accept it; it makes it real, it's a part of me, and you have to do with that what you will. As somebody with a deep respect for history, it's not something I shy away from. But I remember saying to my partner, after several days of feeling completely turned inside-out and finally putting my finger on why, that the frustrating part of it was that talking about it doesn't help. It doesn't stop hurting. It just goes dormant and then, if I pick at it, it starts all over again. I remember describing it as less a scar, and more a loosely-healed cut, liable to start bleeding again as soon as I brush against it. I understand why this book is called Wounds.
There's no neat conclusion to this. It was painful to read, and it made me think about a lot that was unpleasant, but that was necessary to think about -- both in terms of my own experiences, and in terms of my own thoughts and feelings towards them. It was a very useful book to read, and one I know will serve me well in the future. I'd recommend it to anybody, but particularly those on the island of Ireland. But it is aptly named.
January 26, 2021
Wounds is the history of an understudied period in Irish history - the Irish Civil War of 1922-23. The centenary is approaching, and there has been a lot of discussion of how to commemorate this disturbing period in Irish history. Keane's book, published in 2017, won the Ewart-Biggs Memorial Prize in 2018, and the 2017 the Non-Fiction Irish Book of the Year Award. Balkans, Afghanistan, as well as Northern Ireland. This work took its toll with periods of debilitating PTSD. The intensity of his investigations, and total commitment to telling the stories of the impact of war on the people involved are ingredients that lend this book a depth and intensity that are uncommon is histories of war.
The Irish Civil broke out after the hero of the Irish War of Independence, Michael Collins and others were sent to Ireland by the Irish leader, DeValera to negotiate a treaty to end that war. When the treaty resulted in the partition of Ireland with six counties in the north remaining in Britain, anti-treaty forces in Ireland coalesced. DeValera led the anti-treaty forces (the IRA) and Collins led those who supported the treaty. It was a war of brother and sister against brother and sister. Families were divided.
Keane's story centers on north Kerry, including his hometown of Listowel, including the story of his grandmother Hannah Purtill who took up arms against the British. Through his portrayal of the role she took in the Civil War, he reveals the personal conflicts that many Irish citizens experienced when choosing sides.
Highly recommended.
The Irish Civil broke out after the hero of the Irish War of Independence, Michael Collins and others were sent to Ireland by the Irish leader, DeValera to negotiate a treaty to end that war. When the treaty resulted in the partition of Ireland with six counties in the north remaining in Britain, anti-treaty forces in Ireland coalesced. DeValera led the anti-treaty forces (the IRA) and Collins led those who supported the treaty. It was a war of brother and sister against brother and sister. Families were divided.
Keane's story centers on north Kerry, including his hometown of Listowel, including the story of his grandmother Hannah Purtill who took up arms against the British. Through his portrayal of the role she took in the Civil War, he reveals the personal conflicts that many Irish citizens experienced when choosing sides.
Highly recommended.
March 1, 2020
This was really excellent - a view of Irish nationalism and independence as seen through the prism of the lives of the author's family and their friends and neighbours in Listowel, North Kerry. My knowledge of Irish independence was pretty vague, consisting mainly of being aware of the 1916 rising and knowing little of what followed, so this was very informative but not in any way dry. By using the experiences of the people in the local area as a focus point, it personalises and gives an immediacy to the historical events, but Fergal Keane is very even-handed and in no rush to make judgments. Highly recommended.
October 5, 2017
From BBc radio 4 - Book of the Week:
After nearly three decades reporting conflict from all over the world for the BBC, Fergal Keane goes home to Ireland to tell a story that lies at the root of his fascination with war. It's a family tale about how the ghosts of the past return to shape the present.
Fergal's grandmother, Hanna Purtill, her brother Mick and his friend Con Brosnan, along with many of their neighbours, found themselves caught up in the revolution that followed the 1916 Easter Rising. They took up guns to fight the British Empire and create an independent Ireland.
Many thousands of people took part in the War of Independence and the Civil War that followed. Whatever side they chose, all were changed in some way by the costs of violence. Fergal uses the experiences of his ancestral homeland in north Kerry to examine why people will kill for a cause and how the act of killing reverberates through the generations.
In the first episode, Fergal recalls his father's tall stories about ghosts around the family home. But one such story, that of the murdered soldier on the street outside, turned out to have a basis in truth.
Abridged by Anna Magnusson
Produced by Pippa Vaughan
A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b095qnbb
After nearly three decades reporting conflict from all over the world for the BBC, Fergal Keane goes home to Ireland to tell a story that lies at the root of his fascination with war. It's a family tale about how the ghosts of the past return to shape the present.
Fergal's grandmother, Hanna Purtill, her brother Mick and his friend Con Brosnan, along with many of their neighbours, found themselves caught up in the revolution that followed the 1916 Easter Rising. They took up guns to fight the British Empire and create an independent Ireland.
Many thousands of people took part in the War of Independence and the Civil War that followed. Whatever side they chose, all were changed in some way by the costs of violence. Fergal uses the experiences of his ancestral homeland in north Kerry to examine why people will kill for a cause and how the act of killing reverberates through the generations.
In the first episode, Fergal recalls his father's tall stories about ghosts around the family home. But one such story, that of the murdered soldier on the street outside, turned out to have a basis in truth.
Abridged by Anna Magnusson
Produced by Pippa Vaughan
A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b095qnbb
June 12, 2020
An account of the Famine, Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War, observed from the perspective of the rural town of Listowel. At first I had my reservations about this book, as it is very niche. However, I came to realise than focusing on one town facilitated a more personal account of how the wars affected families and civilians in the countryside, and allowed greater character development. Keane's efforts to remain a neutral part when depicting events are evident and admirable. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve their knowledge of Irish history, or gain a greater appreciation for the implications of some of our most significant historical events on small town life.
August 6, 2023
This should be required reading in schools. One of the best books about Irish history and culture I have ever read.
May 23, 2018
Winner Best Non-fiction Irish Book of the Year 2017
Review
Review
February 16, 2022
‘Wounds -A Memoir of War & Love’ by Fergal Keane skilfully captures the violence & bravery of the War of Independence & the heartbreaking fratricide that occurred during our Civil War.
25 years after reading his wonderful, ‘Letter to Daniel’, ( his then newborn son in Hong Kong **), I found Wounds equally moving & poignant in a much different way. Fergal brings to life the story of his grandmother Hannah Purtill & how her community took up arms to fight the British Empire. Also he tells the story of how RIC policeman Tobias O’Sullivan dies fighting to uphold the law of his country.
Essential reading in this decade of historic Irish centenaries.
** I met Fergal at an event in London some years ago & asked about Daniel, and heard he had just started college in Cambridge.
25 years after reading his wonderful, ‘Letter to Daniel’, ( his then newborn son in Hong Kong **), I found Wounds equally moving & poignant in a much different way. Fergal brings to life the story of his grandmother Hannah Purtill & how her community took up arms to fight the British Empire. Also he tells the story of how RIC policeman Tobias O’Sullivan dies fighting to uphold the law of his country.
Essential reading in this decade of historic Irish centenaries.
** I met Fergal at an event in London some years ago & asked about Daniel, and heard he had just started college in Cambridge.
February 2, 2019
Fergal Keane is a radio journalist and when I read this I heard his voice through the type. It is a good fair and balance of the period in Ireland. He shows the choices people made without rancour and the fate history had in story for them. Was it worth the bloodshed, probably not, but history is a three edged sword.
January 4, 2018
As poignant read
I choose this on the off chance. I am so glad that I did. A well written story focusing on events in Listowel which are microcosm of the Irish War for Independence and subsequent Civil War. I recommend this book to anyone interested in Irish history.
I choose this on the off chance. I am so glad that I did. A well written story focusing on events in Listowel which are microcosm of the Irish War for Independence and subsequent Civil War. I recommend this book to anyone interested in Irish history.
August 26, 2018
5 out of 5 is not enough for this book. Fergal Keane was not alive in the period 1919 to 1923 - the War of Independence and the Civil War. But his work as a journalist in 'trouble spots' like Belfast and Rwanda allow him to give a unique inside to a dark period in Irish history.
May 4, 2021
4.5* A meticulously researched and poignant memoir and account of war from a personal and familial standpoint.
April 9, 2025
Really glad I read this book. Being Dutch myself the history of Ireland is something I knew too little about, but is a fascinating subject.
The writer does a great job of describing the broader historical events first, such as the British influence in the colony of Ireland, the famine, the 1916 Easter Rising, the war for indepence and the subsequent civil war.
The real value of this book compared to a regular retelling of events, comes from the writer's deep dive into his family's history and involvement during these events. Also mostly focusing on the events in the town Listowel and other parts of northern Kerry.
This provides the reader with a unique insight in personal stories related to mostly the Purtill family and comrades involvement in the war for independence and a relatively small part of the book about the civil war.
The British rule of Ireland was ruthless and their way of treating Irish Catholics during the Famine lead to so much more deaths than what would have been neccessary. Therefore a violent uprising of the Irish seems a logical conclusion to finally gain indepence.
What I like about this book is the fact the author does not condone the violence from both sides in these conflicts. Many people suffered from the tit-for-tat killings on the sides of both the Irish and the British. Killing a high ranked British officer lead to reprisals to a whole town (such as killing innocent civilians) which lead to more hate and killings against the British etc. etc. Living through this period as an innocent bystander must have been terrible. Keane describes in great detail what lead to the killing of the Irish inspector O'Sullivan working for the RIC against the IRA. Irishmen versus each other fighting for what they thought was the right cause.
Even more fascinating to me is the Civil War that followed, between those pro and anti treaty. I am fortunate to live in a time and place where I cannot even imagine being put in a situation where I would contemplate shooting at someone that was a great friend months before. I can imagine that the trauma of these events, which let's be honest are not even that long ago, is still being passed on to newer generations.
I cannot imagine the time Fergal Keane must have spent on collecting all this information, from speaking with descendants of those involved and spitting through local history records.
The writer does a great job of describing the broader historical events first, such as the British influence in the colony of Ireland, the famine, the 1916 Easter Rising, the war for indepence and the subsequent civil war.
The real value of this book compared to a regular retelling of events, comes from the writer's deep dive into his family's history and involvement during these events. Also mostly focusing on the events in the town Listowel and other parts of northern Kerry.
This provides the reader with a unique insight in personal stories related to mostly the Purtill family and comrades involvement in the war for independence and a relatively small part of the book about the civil war.
The British rule of Ireland was ruthless and their way of treating Irish Catholics during the Famine lead to so much more deaths than what would have been neccessary. Therefore a violent uprising of the Irish seems a logical conclusion to finally gain indepence.
What I like about this book is the fact the author does not condone the violence from both sides in these conflicts. Many people suffered from the tit-for-tat killings on the sides of both the Irish and the British. Killing a high ranked British officer lead to reprisals to a whole town (such as killing innocent civilians) which lead to more hate and killings against the British etc. etc. Living through this period as an innocent bystander must have been terrible. Keane describes in great detail what lead to the killing of the Irish inspector O'Sullivan working for the RIC against the IRA. Irishmen versus each other fighting for what they thought was the right cause.
Even more fascinating to me is the Civil War that followed, between those pro and anti treaty. I am fortunate to live in a time and place where I cannot even imagine being put in a situation where I would contemplate shooting at someone that was a great friend months before. I can imagine that the trauma of these events, which let's be honest are not even that long ago, is still being passed on to newer generations.
I cannot imagine the time Fergal Keane must have spent on collecting all this information, from speaking with descendants of those involved and spitting through local history records.
January 22, 2023
Wounds by Fergal Keane (Irish foreign correspondent for the BBC) is a harrowing tale of the violent history of Ireland through the lenses of his family. He draws on historical facts and research and combines it with the storytelling of his family and their lived experiences. This is a story of love and anger, of violence and determination, of right and wrong, war and peace, and just getting on with it. It draws on recent history from the revolution that was born out of the 1916 rising and the violence of the civil war after the British leave 1922. This telling of events only 100 years old feels recent and raw.
This is my first real introduction to Irish history something I am shamed and appalled to admit as a historian and a history teacher and it is definitely an area of history I am keen to learn much more about. For this reason, I found the book difficult to follow at times, but what I didn't find difficult to understand is the atrocities committed by the British and the Black and Tans. The violence and brutality of those that died come through clearly throughout the memoir, and I get a sense the author believes it was unnecessary and while he is dealing with the subject matter of people real and dear to him and his homeland he remains reasonably objective throughout.
But what I think I liked most about this book is its examination of the amount of deaths and the impact these deaths have had on those lives thereafter. This can be seen in the stories of the families left behind, in those that killed in the civil war for there country and have had to live with those deaths on their conscious and for those that turned against each other. Keane tells of events and happenings, but more importantly, he analyses the effects and impacts of these events on Ireland to this day. I found Keane to be an excellent writer, storyteller, and historian. I recommend this memoir to anyone interested in a personal and yet historical account of the violent origins of Irish Independence.
This is my first real introduction to Irish history something I am shamed and appalled to admit as a historian and a history teacher and it is definitely an area of history I am keen to learn much more about. For this reason, I found the book difficult to follow at times, but what I didn't find difficult to understand is the atrocities committed by the British and the Black and Tans. The violence and brutality of those that died come through clearly throughout the memoir, and I get a sense the author believes it was unnecessary and while he is dealing with the subject matter of people real and dear to him and his homeland he remains reasonably objective throughout.
But what I think I liked most about this book is its examination of the amount of deaths and the impact these deaths have had on those lives thereafter. This can be seen in the stories of the families left behind, in those that killed in the civil war for there country and have had to live with those deaths on their conscious and for those that turned against each other. Keane tells of events and happenings, but more importantly, he analyses the effects and impacts of these events on Ireland to this day. I found Keane to be an excellent writer, storyteller, and historian. I recommend this memoir to anyone interested in a personal and yet historical account of the violent origins of Irish Independence.
February 7, 2019
Ever since I heard Fergal Keane's broadcast 'Letter to Daniel' on the BBC radio programme 'From our own correspondent'over 20 years ago, I have been a fan of his work both in the media and in his books. He has a way of telling a story that sets him apart. As a member of the well known Keane family from Listowel - his father an actor, his uncle a playwright - he has acquired or inherited a way with writing words and speaking them that I find captivating. And so when I opened this book and worked my way through it, it was his voice that I heard in my head.
Although born, bred and educated in Ireland I am quite illiterate about the upheavals here in the early part of the 20th Century and so I looked to this book to help me disentangle the war of Independence and the subsequent Civil War. That there was a subsequent silence about events such as those portrayed here is not surprising as atrocities were traded between sides. Listowel and its North Kerry hinterland is the setting for the bloody story that united those fighting for independence from Britain and then divided families, religions, neighbours as they turned on each other after the British left.
It also gives a context to the 'troubles' in Northern Ireland which claimed over 3,000 lives and where Keane was based as a correspondent in the 1980s.
An enlightening book, not always easy reading as scenarios of death are laid before us. It is astonishing how brutal men become when the have principles to defend. But the good catholics apparently prayed with their victims before dispatching them, or remembered them in their prayers nightly thereafter.
The pity of war!
Although born, bred and educated in Ireland I am quite illiterate about the upheavals here in the early part of the 20th Century and so I looked to this book to help me disentangle the war of Independence and the subsequent Civil War. That there was a subsequent silence about events such as those portrayed here is not surprising as atrocities were traded between sides. Listowel and its North Kerry hinterland is the setting for the bloody story that united those fighting for independence from Britain and then divided families, religions, neighbours as they turned on each other after the British left.
It also gives a context to the 'troubles' in Northern Ireland which claimed over 3,000 lives and where Keane was based as a correspondent in the 1980s.
An enlightening book, not always easy reading as scenarios of death are laid before us. It is astonishing how brutal men become when the have principles to defend. But the good catholics apparently prayed with their victims before dispatching them, or remembered them in their prayers nightly thereafter.
The pity of war!
December 24, 2023
3.5 stars. Fergal Keane is a strong stylistic writer, who can convey emotion and feeling with short straightforward sentences. This book focuses on the Irish War of Independence and Irish Civil War with some focus on what came before and after. The twist is that he focuses on the County Kerry campaign, specifically his ancestors who fought. It’s a more personal and emotional touch. It treats the subject matter deftly.
I believe he also takes a balanced look at all sides in each of the conflicts and ensuing political battles. As he says in the introduction, he only has one obvious, being anti war. And I agree. He kept his other biases, if any, out of the story. Which is impressive since this isn’t a classic history book but more of a memoir.
Now the bad, the book is overly laden with details about skirmishes, killings, and anecdotes about people from County Kerry. It’s clear Keane did his research and wanted to show it. Some of these stories provide a flavor of what happened to ordinary people as a result of the war: Murder, fleeing the country, injustice, summary execution, losing their homes, etc. But these anecdotes are excessive, which led me to lose focus at multiple times in the book. I understand the desire to do this. But he would have been better served focusing on the more national leaders in both wars, including Michael Collins and Eamonn de Valera. When he did that, he kept my attention more. And I think the reason is obvious, they are famous historical figures, who will make the reader sit up and pay attention.
I believe he also takes a balanced look at all sides in each of the conflicts and ensuing political battles. As he says in the introduction, he only has one obvious, being anti war. And I agree. He kept his other biases, if any, out of the story. Which is impressive since this isn’t a classic history book but more of a memoir.
Now the bad, the book is overly laden with details about skirmishes, killings, and anecdotes about people from County Kerry. It’s clear Keane did his research and wanted to show it. Some of these stories provide a flavor of what happened to ordinary people as a result of the war: Murder, fleeing the country, injustice, summary execution, losing their homes, etc. But these anecdotes are excessive, which led me to lose focus at multiple times in the book. I understand the desire to do this. But he would have been better served focusing on the more national leaders in both wars, including Michael Collins and Eamonn de Valera. When he did that, he kept my attention more. And I think the reason is obvious, they are famous historical figures, who will make the reader sit up and pay attention.
February 15, 2021
I enjoyed this book very much and found it to be very informative. I had previously only read one book on this subject and it dwelt primarily with the Black and Tans. This book told the stories from the view of people who had been there, but without the rhetoric commonly seen in such books. Both sides were presented as human beings. Black and Tans, and Auxies are presented with disdain while the Royal Irish Constabulary is presented as a professional organization. The book takes the reader from the struggle for the formation of the Irish Free State through the Irish Civil War. It is presented largely through events surrounding the author's family and their friends in and around the communities of Ballydonoghue and Listowel during this time, rather than concentrating on the big picture and the politics. These events are portrayed against the backdrop of Irish history including the Famine and the larger events of the Civil War.
Normally I am not a fan of non-fiction books that incorporate the author's wanderings as part of the book. In this case the book was highly personal and this style worked well without it turning into opinionated schlock. It made the book more, rather than less readable. A standard history book would have been very dry. If you are interested in the Irish Civil War, particularly in the views of the ordinary Irish people, this is an excellent book to look at.
Normally I am not a fan of non-fiction books that incorporate the author's wanderings as part of the book. In this case the book was highly personal and this style worked well without it turning into opinionated schlock. It made the book more, rather than less readable. A standard history book would have been very dry. If you are interested in the Irish Civil War, particularly in the views of the ordinary Irish people, this is an excellent book to look at.
May 29, 2023
I might be a little biased because the events described here are so relevant to me (some of the incidents happened barely 200 meters from my house) but I thought this was a fantastic. I went in expecting bias toward one side but the account of the events Is refreshingly lacking in any real editorial bias of note. There’s a lot of historical context provided while also establishing the author’s personal connection to the subject matter (but never really revealing major biases). Definitely worth a read (though admittedly that is the opinion of so,Rome with a strong connection to the places within, can’t say how much it would appeal to the outsider).
September 26, 2024
I’m from Northern Ireland so reading this brought me into a Nationalist perspective which I’d never fully heard before .I’d recommend this book if not only to challenge what you thought you knew about growing up in the troubled land taking history back into the 1920s and moving forward with Fergals family and community experiences .He’s a skilled writer and used personal stories of the difficult times interwoven with historical facts .
October 25, 2020
It’s an interesting book although not my style. I think the last 50 or 60 pages were my favorite because it got more personal and emotional. I think the book helps understand the Irish conflict and goes into a lot of historical details, but it is easier to read if you already have an understanding of the country’s history.
April 30, 2023
This was about a sad chapter in recent Irish history, covering the fight with the British in 1916 and then the Civil War starting in 1922. It is centered around Keane's family and where they lived. All the horrors of war plus the added layer of sectarian violence, family against family. Recommend it for anyone interested in the time in Ireland.
March 4, 2024
This is a haunting read but an essential one. Keane attempts to explain why ordinary people choose violent struggle. He shines a light on a time that Ireland has not wanted to see or talk about for many years. What he finds is desparation, love, idealism, greed, pragmatism and overwhelming savagery on all sides. A hard read.
July 14, 2024
Fantastic book. Keane traces the sweep of Irish history that led to the War of Independence and subsequently the Covid War and the aftermath.
The brutal history of that time is framed with members of Keane’s family being participants.
So much I never knew about recent Irish history told in wonderful thoughtful prose.
Highly recommended.
The brutal history of that time is framed with members of Keane’s family being participants.
So much I never knew about recent Irish history told in wonderful thoughtful prose.
Highly recommended.
September 6, 2024
As an Irish history enthusiast, I loved this book. If you're looking to read more about the Irish Civil War, journalist Fergal Keane dives into his past—and follows the life of his grandmother Hannah during the Irish Civil War and the revolution after the 1916 Rising.
It really had everything I want from a Irish history book 💚
It really had everything I want from a Irish history book 💚
April 1, 2021
Excellent. Through descriptions of the local and the personal the story of Ireland past and present is told.
The writing, insight and detail are exceptional. It puts everything in context more than any other book that I’ve read. This will be my new go-to book on Irish history.
The writing, insight and detail are exceptional. It puts everything in context more than any other book that I’ve read. This will be my new go-to book on Irish history.
November 30, 2022
A good account of the Irish rising, war of independence and Civil War chartered through a family history based in the small town of Listowel Co. Kerry. The concentration on friends and family in the local area helps drive home the divide that the civil war caused.
May 22, 2023
Sensitive and thoughtful addition of a personal dimension to historical events but not much more than that. Perhaps the most powerful contribution of the book is that nobody escapes unscathed from the killing and general misery of a conflict.
March 7, 2024
I liked this well enough but a lot of it was a more general history of early twentieth century Ireland and didn't offer much new information. The chapter regarding the Irish Civil War was the best and the saddest.
February 23, 2018
A very personal examination of the conflict in North Kerry during the Irish War of Independence and Civil War
March 6, 2018
Heartbreaking account of Ireland’s endless suffering, struggles, violence, and (senseless) fratricide, especially during the two Civil Wars. Keane has a clear eye on his ancestors’ trauma.
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